Wanting to get into skeet/clay shooting. Any recomendations on shotguns?

[alingo2001]

I've had a Mossberg 500 and didn't like shooting it so a pump is out of the list I think. Looks like we'll be shooting at Big Springs out in Christiana.

[LngRngShtr]

I started out with an old 1897 Winchester I bought for $75.00

moved up to a Beretta A390ST Semi I found used for around $525.00

I hunt ducks with a Stoeger Condor Supreme O/U that I polished the chambers/forcing cones on and added Carlson chokes to it..though it will work fine on the clays range..and it is in the O/U world "economical"

I can safely say you should try before you buy,.. the clubhouse should have a "loaner" gun and some folks will let you try theirs,.. and the clubhouse wall usually has a few for sale ,... Beware.. a Beretta DT-10 Trident or anything Perazzi or Kreighoff will have you looking at mortgaging the farm

the M-500 "universal" stock geometry is less than fun to shoot however I have seen some folks get them fitted and they are a whole different feel and do very well in knocking things out of the sky..all it takes sometimes are shims or a touch with a file..

Fitment is everything with a shotgun you could restock and get an old J.C. Higgins single shot fitted to you add a poly choke and out shoot some expensive shotguns that don't fit their owners well..

In the end it is a very personal choice as to what to use... I went duck hunting the other day with the Beretta and am thinking of buying a box of "classic doubles" for the 1897 before the season is out.. and if I ever get the money up I will get another O/U and restock to match the dimensions of a Parker that has been in the family 5 generations...

John

P.S. after trying a few,.set a budget and get the highest quality you can,..remember these are investments...

Edited December 28, 2010 by LngRngShtr

[Guest FroggyOne2]

If you haven't already done so.. go to some club shoots and matches.. ask questions.. just remember that some with have opinions that will not matter.. they are describing what is good for them.. not for you.. you have to build that knowledge base enough that you can make a good dicision for you.. but the first step is go and watch and ask a lot of questions.. there are a lot of great shotguns out there that can be very good to start the game with.. but experienced shooters of the game can lead you in the right direction..

[RWF]

+1 try before you buy. years ago i shot real sporting clays (by that i mean we rode bay to bay) with a mossy 500 had fun and "friends" had fun with my black 500 and there very nice o/u etc.

for me it was like i was in jeans and everyone else was in a tux.

i mean no bad things to anyone had fun and everyone was great, clay boys i think they called where great also.

[BigK]

I took my Mossberg 500 and went out to Big Springs this fall for my first try at skeet. All the guys in "tuxes" didn't make fun of my "jeans" at all. In fact, they were real friendly and helpful. It was very obvious that my Mossy wasn't the reason I was so bad, so nobody even mentioned getting a better gun. It did beat the crap out of my shoulder thru the 2 rounds I shot before I called it a day. I was bruised up pretty bad, but eh it goes with the territory. What they all did recommend is to spring for lessons before I developed bad habits.

[Guest President Fernatt]

I use a Remington 870 express super magnum. It's a beast, it is pump. You should give pump another try because this gun feels amazing

[Guest FroggyOne2]

I can tell you that you will end up with an over/under with a selective, non recoil activated trigger . The reason that you want the non recoil activated trigger is that if the first round don't fire.. the second can still go boom.

[Tncobra]

I can tell you that you will end up with an over/under with a selective, non recoil activated trigger . The reason that you want the non recoil activated trigger is that if the first round don't fire.. the second can still go boom.

^ this.

Lots of nice O/U on the market. I liked the Red Labels.

[LngRngShtr]

I can tell you that you will end up with an over/under with a selective, non recoil activated trigger . The reason that you want the non recoil activated trigger is that if the first round don't fire.. the second can still go boom.

on most inertia resetting triggers a quick flip of the safety to on then off will get you to the second barrel about as fast as the selector lever on a mechanical gun,my Condor does.. I have found that if you have a misfire on the first barrel by the time you react and correct,..its over and the bird is missed/gone unless your mechanical selector switches automatically or the birds are deep in the decoys

Edited December 28, 2010 by LngRngShtr

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Yeah.. but if you get into competition.. not saying that this fellow will.. but in competition.. you don't have time for that.

[LngRngShtr]

I guess that's why I always used "Old Reliable" when I shot for money...errr side matches

Winchester 1897 30" full if it didn't go bang,.. the primer was dead.

I guess my point was that he should try as many different shotguns as possible because 'as you know' if he gets one he don't like or isn't absolutely reliable life on the range sucks....been there hope he doesn't have to visit..but it seems a right of passage in this fraternity..

John

[RWF]

I took my Mossberg 500 and went out to Big Springs this fall for my first try at skeet. All the guys in "tuxes" didn't make fun of my "jeans" at all. In fact, they were real friendly and helpful. It was very obvious that my Mossy wasn't the reason I was so bad, so nobody even mentioned getting a better gun. It did beat the crap out of my shoulder thru the 2 rounds I shot before I called it a day. I was bruised up pretty bad, but eh it goes with the territory. What they all did recommend is to spring for lessons before I developed bad habits.

it only my "Friends" i shot with that gave me hell and we all shot aweful. but at the club house with my 500 in the rack it sure looked out of place. did mention it only had a 20" barrel.

[BigK]

it only my "Friends" i shot with that gave me hell and we all shot aweful. but at the club house with my 500 in the rack it sure looked out of place. did mention it only had a 20" barrel.

I have no doubt that my 500 looked out of place too. Especially since one guy in our foursome had an O/U that he said costed around $2K. He outshot me for sure, but he could have done so if we had traded guns, LOL.

[TNFlyer]

I've had a Mossberg 500 and didn't like shooting it so a pump is out of the list I think. Looks like we'll be shooting at Big Springs out in Christiana.

I'm just starting out shooting skeet as well, using an 870 Express. To say the least it is not the best choice.

As far as a recommendation you need to give us a budget of what you are willing to spend. That's going to be the factor in your decision (at least it is in mine).

I do know shotgun fit has a lot to do with it because I suck with my 870, I'm a little better with my buddies Browning Maxus, and I can break the most clays with my brothers Benelli Nova.

You should go to your local gun shop and try out a few to see how they feel. Also, keep going to the range and shooting and maybe someone will let you borrow their gun to let you get a feel for different fits.

Like I said I'm new to the game, that's just my .02

[Guest clownsdd]

Stoeger O/U....mid of the road shotgun. Works for me.

[LeadWaster]

I shot some skeet and a LOT of trap back in the 1980's. Got pretty good at trap, shot decent skeet. I started with a Remington 1100 trap gun. For trap, you really need the trap stock for a higher point of impact, for skeet, a field stock will work fine as the target isn't rising as fast or as much as a trap target. Well, the single shot/over/under bug bit. I had a Browning BT-99, Rotweill combo set, Kreighoff combo, K-80 combo, and a Ljutic. I probably shot the K-80 best, but honestly, if I had stuck to the Rem 1100, I'd probably shot it just as good. Of all of those guns, I only have the 1100's left. To me, the big advantage of the O/U is if you reload, you can save your empties easier. When you are shooting in a match, it's frowned upon to hold up the squad to retrieve your empties. Matter of fact, most clubs don't allow it. More of a courtesy thing for the other shooters. In skeet, you'll shoot doubles at 4 stations if I remember correctly. In trap, using an autoloader, it's not so much an issue until you get into double (and you eventually will!). You can stick a shell catcher on for singles and handicap. Nice thing is, with an 1100, you can get a couple of different barrels, a trap stock and a field stock, and configure your gun for about anything.... without breaking the bank. There are nicer autoloaders on the market these days. Benelli and Beretta in particular, but they can cost a lot more than an 1100. Like others have said, fit is the most important thing. You can spend tons of money on a gun, but if it doesn't fit, you won't be breaking as many targets.

[Warbird]

Fit is in some ways quite important in shooting a shotgun. A gun that doesn't point well for you will be hard to shoot well ever. In the beginning this is very important. It isn't as important after you are really really good. Unlike shooting pistols or rifles where you focus on the front sight, with clays you should never look at the bead at all.

I used to think fit was everything until I shot with a guy who shot my shotgun, which he had never shot before, on a sporting clays course. He also never mounted the gun, shooting the gun cradled in his elbow joint with his arm tucked into his side. He shot a 90 on a moderately difficult course. Yes he is a pro and yes he did it to prove a point. We had had a debate on fit. Needless to say I won't debate him anymore.

Anyway a good shotgun for skeet and sporting clays, won't be a good one for trap because of poa/poi. Buy a durable shotgun that will hold up to the punishment of 100 or more rounds at a time. The least expensive route to go for a durable shotgun is definitely a semi. The Remington 1100 or Beretta 390 series shotguns are very popular. The Beretta is a far better choice over the Benelli for the majority of people. I almost never see a Benelli on the clays course anymore.

If you decide to go the O/U route then a decent quality durable shotgun will definitely set you back more. They are more expensive to build and cost more because of it, even a basic no frills sporting model. Few folks, me being an exception, like Beretta and Browning and find that either fit well. They are the two most popular brands. I would try several of each to see which fits. Most are very committed to either, but both are well made and you should decide based on what fits you better.

Another option would be the Spanish made Lanber. They are the most sold shotgun in the clays crazy country of England. CDNN has some incredible deals on them right now and they are extremely well made. I wouldn't buy an O/U lesser in quality for clays than the Lanber. Ironically the Lanber is the favorite 2nd gun, or fun gun, for almost every Perazzi shooter I know. Never buy a cheap O/U. Some might make it a few rounds, but they simply won't take the long term abuse of clays. Also, buy a sporting model shotgun. Some of the hunting guns that are decent, such as the Red Label, are horrid clays guns. They will beat the hell out of you.

Another note, buy a gun with choke tube capability. For beginners this is better. Most Pros used fixed choke guns, but they have several guns with different chokes and usually shoot courses with one gun and about 5 different loads, switching from one to the other based on preseatation.

I personally shoot a Beretta 682 Gold E w/ 32" bbls. I have also shot th Beretta 686 White Onyx Sporting and it is one of the finest bargain O/U's made. If you call a nearly $2k shotgun a bargain gun. In comparison it is believe me.

I would be glad to meet you at Big Springs one day and let you shoot a Beretta and Lanber if you like. Good luck